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Policy Against Harassment

Equal employment opportunity

The Company is committed to equal employment opportunity and to compliance with federal antidiscrimination laws. We also comply with California law, which prohibits discrimination and harassment against employees, applicants for employment, individuals providing services in the workplace pursuant to a contract, unpaid interns and volunteers based on their actual or perceived: race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender (including gender identity and expression), age (40 and over), sexual orientation, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status and any other consideration protected by federal, state or local law (collectively referred to as “protected characteristics”).

For purposes of this policy, discrimination on the basis of “national origin” also includes discrimination against an individual because that person holds or presents the California driver’s license issued to those who cannot document their lawful presence in the United States. An employee’s or applicant for employment’s immigration status will not be considered for any employment purpose except as necessary to comply with federal, state or local law. Our commitment to equal opportunity employment applies to all persons involved in our operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment by any employee, including partners, managers and co-workers.

The Company will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based upon these protected characteristics or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law. The Company also does not retaliate or otherwise discriminate against applicants or employees who request a reasonable accommodation for reasons related to disability or religion.

Prohibited harassment

The Company is committed to providing a work environment that is free of illicit harassment based on any protected characteristics. As a result, the Company maintains a strict policy prohibiting sexual harassment and harassment against employees, applicants for employment, individuals providing services in the workplace pursuant to a contract, unpaid interns or volunteers based on any legally-recognized basis, including, but not limited to, their actual or perceived race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender (including gender identity and expression), age (40 or over), sexual orientation, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, immigration status or any other consideration protected by federal, state or local law. For purposes of this policy, discrimination on the basis of “national origin” also includes harassment against an individual because that person holds or presents the California driver’s license issued to those who cannot document their lawful presence in the United States. All such harassment is prohibited. This policy applies to all persons involved in our operations, including partners, employees, coworkers, managers, founders, temporary workers, agents, clients, vendors, customers, or any other third party interacting with the Company (“third parties”) and prohibits proscribed harassing conduct by any employee or third party of the Company, including nonmanagerial employees, managers, and partners. If such harassment occurs on the Company’s premises or is directed toward an employee or a third party interacting with the Company, the procedures in this policy should be followed.

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment includes unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or visual, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

  • Submission to such conduct is made a term or condition of employment;
  • Submission to, or rejection of, such conduct is used as a basis for employment decisions affecting the individual; or
  • Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an employee’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.

Sexual harassment also includes various forms of offensive behavior based on sex and includes gender-based harassment of a person of the same sex as the harasser. The following is a partial list:

  • Unwanted sexual advances.
  • Offering employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors.
  • Making or threatening reprisals after a negative response to sexual advances.
  • Visual conduct: leering; making sexual gestures; displaying sexually suggestive objects or pictures, cartoons, posters, websites, emails or text messages.
  • Verbal conduct: making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, sexually explicit jokes, or comments about an employee’s body or dress.
  • Verbal sexual advances or propositions.
  • Verbal abuse of a sexual nature; graphic verbal commentary about an individual’s body; sexually degrading words to describe an individual; suggestive or obscene letters, notes or invitations.
  • Physical conduct: touching, assault, impeding or blocking movements.
  • Retaliation for reporting harassment or threatening to report sexual harassment.

An employee may be liable for harassment based on sex even if the alleged harassing conduct was not motivated by sexual desire. An employee who engages in unlawful harassment may be personally liable for harassment whether or not the Company had knowledge of such conduct.